Are peaceful Muslims in denial about their religion?

Go to page

SENIOR MEMBER

The Koran has violent passages, but it also has others that explicitly tells us how to interpret them — and it's bad news for critics of Islam

Isis has sharpened many people's sense of paranoia towards Islam. The majority of Muslims have a peaceful reading of the Koran, but as Isis commits more and more atrocities, the argument that the Koran equally invites a violent interpretation of its teachings has begun to gain ground.

A quick internet search that throws up certain passages which, read at face value, could prove these suspicions correct. For example, critics of Islam often cite verses such as: "fight such of the disbelievers as are near to you"; or to "kill the idolaters wherever you find them". Passages such as these leave an impartial observer wondering — is Islam simply a matter of interpretation? Is the line between a peaceful Muslim and a terrorist simply a matter of which verses you follow and which you ignore?

No, is the emphatic answer of the Koran. Whether Islam is peaceful or extreme is not just a matter of interpretation, and for the simple reason that the Koran tells you exactly how to interpret it. Once you’ve read how it works, you’ll understand exactly why the verses above aren’t actually calling for "Death to the West", but are in fact completely reasonable in their context. If that sounds far-fetched, then keep reading.

The Koran clearly states that it contains two types of verses: context-independent verses, and context-dependent verses. Context-independent verses are unambiguous and timeless principles which can be applied in every situation. Context-dependent verses are those that are specific to particular situations, and can’t be read in isolation. The Koran then goes on to condemn those who cherry-pick verses to suit their own selfish ends, and tells its reader to take all the verses together before coming to any conclusions.

"Peace" is one of the literal meanings of Islam, and its ultimate aim. And as such, it explicitly teaches that there is no compulsion in matters of faith. Regarding war, it teaches that Muslims are only ever allowed permitted to fight defensively, stating that "permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged – and Allah indeed has the power to help them".

The verses that are often quoted by critics are, like those at the beginning, cherry-picked context-dependent verses. They were only applicable at a time when war had been openly declared against Muslims because of their faith. They were being driven out of their homes and routinely assassinated. "Fight them until there is no persecution and religion is freely professed for Allah", says the Koran. But if they stop oppressing you, it warns, then remember that "no hostility is allowed except against the aggressors". Verses such as these mention fighting "disbelievers" because the division of the two sides was one of belief – non-Muslims who were the aggressors, and Muslims, who were being killed for their acceptance of Islam.

As for how Muslims should co-exist with peaceful people of other beliefs, the Koran couldn’t be clearer: "Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes". For everyone else, it is taught that you should be kind and act fairly towards them.

So just to be clear: Islam is not simply a matter of interpretation, because the Koran itself tells us how to interpret it. Any other interpretation is either willfully dishonest or just plain ignorant.

THINK TANK

MEMBER

Joined

Feb 6, 2015

Messages

278

Reaction score

40

Country

Location

Well the Koran has been used by some to justify their terror actions such as suicide bombings and other killings. I think the peaceful Muslims need to do more in order to get their message across and not let people form an opinion about Islam base on the actions of terrorists who claim to carry out their actions in the name of Allah.

MEMBER

Joined

Dec 26, 2014

Messages

349

Reaction score

41

Country

Location

The peaceful ones are not part of the violence nor are condoning it or siding with the ISIS who are rebels and claim to be fighting for the good of the people not from what I have seen. The peaceful ones need to do more, and get awareness by visual aids and letting people know not all are like the ISIS people who are enjoying violence. It, is time to show the world that what it truly means to be a peaceful Muslim and oppose these sort of people who are misusing the verses.

THINK TANK

Well the Koran has been used by some to justify their terror actions such as suicide bombings and other killings. I think the peaceful Muslims need to do more in order to get their message across and not let people form an opinion about Islam base on the actions of terrorists who claim to carry out their actions in the name of Allah.

To justify their killing of innocent by any means used for killing. And the Muslims have done enough to counter these lunatics. All Muslim leaders, scholars, thinkers...etc have spoken against these actions that lead to the killing of innocent people regardless of their background, ethnicity, race or religion. No only speaking but also taking military measurements against the like of ISIS and their ideology that is rejected all Muslims and have no bases whatsoever in the religion of Islam. In fact the Quran says, ''Whoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he saved the life of all mankind.'' Very plain and simple. But the issue is those who empower these extremists for their own agenda. Those who fund them financially and logistically for the purpose of demonizing the image of the Islam.

MEMBER

Joined

Jan 1, 2015

Messages

446

Reaction score

66

Country

Location

Terrorists are the ones who're denying their religion. They're the ones twisting Quran verses to suit their own thirst for violence. But what the Quran advocates are goodness and loyalty and love for Allah - not mass murder, extortion and other inhumane deeds. I don't see why peaceful Muslims should be dragged into a mess they had nothing to do with in the first place. Rather than equate Islam with terrorism, I hope people would take the time to read more about Islam Peace Education and zoom in on the real essence of Islam.

MEMBER

Joined

Dec 30, 2014

Messages

404

Reaction score

118

Country

Location

Whilst I was aware that the Quran contained seemingly violent passages, I had no idea that they are not to be taken in context. So thanks for this informative post - I feel as though I have learned something.

MEMBER

Joined

Feb 12, 2015

Messages

65

Reaction score

5

Country

Location

It's amazing how powerful one book can be one book can cause more deaths in the world than a deadly disease one book can cause more heartbreak in the world than a natural disaster. We need to take a look at ourselves figure out who we are before we start interpreting things from a book that speaks to a world that doesn't exist anymore.

MEMBER

Joined

Jan 13, 2015

Messages

125

Reaction score

18

Country

Location

Ok, I read what you have to say and I am not saying you are wrong, but I have some burning questions after reading that. Islam was initially spread by force, it continues to be spread and maintained by force all over the world. In every country where Muslims are the majority, Christians face severe persecution routinely. In light of the information you have just shared, why do you think that is?

SENIOR MEMBER

Nazis are not Christians; they do not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Simply pick up the New Testament and read the first 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for yourself, which will tell you everything that Jesus did and said while He was on earth.

Hey, if islam truly was peaceful, they would not be doing all the killing they are doing. I never hear of the Amish, the wiccans, the Mennonites, the Scientologists running around killing people the way that followers of islam are. They are what they are. They think they need to kill people to please their god. Stop making excuses for them.

The double standards of "Christians!" Homosexuals can be Christians but Nazis were not?

Hitler was a Catholic. And after the war the Catholic church helped thousands of Nazis escape justice because they thought the "Christian Nazis" once everything settled down would be the force that would stop the communists who had embraced atheism.

As for judging Muslims, I surmise that you've never lived amongst them. If you had then you'd have learned a lot about their faith and how they live. It's the bad apples who have tarnished the image of Islam.

SENIOR MEMBER

Islam doesn't mean peace. It means "submission". The word for "peace" in arabic is salam. And it's not just ISIS. For heaven's sake, there is the taliban, hamas, al-qaeda, al nusra, hezbollah and a whole bunch more I can't even think of right now. The bottom line is that if it looks like a duck, acts like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck. So if followers of islam are routinely decapitating people, raping women, crucifying children, blowing people's heads off, drowning people, setting them on fire and all the other atrocities we SEE EVERY DAY then gee, they ARE torturing and killing people in the name of "allah".

If islam was peaceful, the world would see on a daily basis their kind acts, their generous hearts, their words of wisdom and truth and their peaceful and loving actions to all mankind. We never see that from followers of islam because at the core of islam is evil, not Truth.

MEMBER

So if followers of islam are routinely decapitating people, raping women, crucifying children, blowing people's heads off, drowning people, setting them on fire and all the other atrocities we SEE EVERY DAY then gee, they ARE torturing and killing people in the name of "allah".

If islam was peaceful, the world would see on a daily basis their kind acts, their generous hearts, their words of wisdom and truth and their peaceful and loving actions to all mankind. We never see that from followers of islam because at the core of islam is evil, not Truth.

Every day Christians and Hindu and Buddhists (yes even Buddhists) and atheists do these things too. The history of Christianity is drenched in blood including the blood of Muslim civilians and captured soldier executed in their thousands during the crusades--when Christians just went to their lands to slaughter them because "God said to".

Every major world religion has a history drenched in blood but they condemn others whilst ignoring their own culpability in a long and ancient tradition of ego-stroking hypocrisy where all people want to think they are from a line of saints when they are really just the same as the rest of us normal human beings with normal human ancestors.

And as for the world seeing the kind acts of Muslims. I see them, maybe you are not looking. I grew up around Pacific Islander Muslims who were the most generous and loving people I have ever had the immense honor to meet. Anyone who has not lived with peaceful Muslims has either not got out much or willfully ignored the sight in front of their eyes.

Saying the religion itself is evil, more than all those other religions, is simple bigotry.

SENIOR MEMBER

Islam doesn't mean peace. It means "submission". The word for "peace" in arabic is salam. And it's not just ISIS. For heaven's sake, there is the taliban, hamas, al-qaeda, al nusra, hezbollah and a whole bunch more I can't even think of right now. The bottom line is that if it looks like a duck, acts like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck. So if followers of islam are routinely decapitating people, raping women, crucifying children, blowing people's heads off, drowning people, setting them on fire and all the other atrocities we SEE EVERY DAY then gee, they ARE torturing and killing people in the name of "allah".

If islam was peaceful, the world would see on a daily basis their kind acts, their generous hearts, their words of wisdom and truth and their peaceful and loving actions to all mankind. We never see that from followers of islam because at the core of islam is evil, not Truth.